


If Only...

by rainasteele



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24783382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainasteele/pseuds/rainasteele
Summary: Just a short collection of one-shots featuring James and Lily!
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. The Werewolf's Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If They Lived AU- Remus invites Lily and James to a fancy restaurant along with an unknown guest, where things get a bit out of control.

Lily ran a brush through her long red hair while James shrugged on a sports coat behind her. She chose her favorite pearl earrings and slipped them on, fastening the holders onto the ends. The pair of them rarely ever dressed this fancy when leaving their home, but today was different. 

She caught her husband's eye in the mirror. "Why do you think Remus asked us to meet him?"

James ran a quick hand through his hair, desperately trying to get it to lie flat. "I dunno. His letter made it seem pretty important."

Lily hadn't seen Remus in ages and she was so very eager to finally be able to tell him about the latest Rune she had translated. As a translator for the Ministry, she got a chance to read through various collections of historical texts. While James pretended to be interested in her work, she knew Remus would be absolutely thrilled to hear about it. 

Remus had been working in Belgium for the past five years as a Muggle schoolteacher. James had been worried about the prospect of Remus spending his monthly werewolf transformations alone, but Remus has assured both of them that the Wolfsbane Potion he had been taking was working wonders. Reluctantly, James had allowed his closest friend to move thousands of kilometers away from them. Remus had searched for a job in the Wizarding World for over a decade before he had gotten jaded by all the Anti-Werewolf legislation. He had applied for the position in Brussels on a whim and had immediately been called in to give an interview. A few weeks later, he received the notification that he was hired, and had everything packed within a few days. The following Monday, he was in Belgium, teaching his first class. 

Remus wrote to them, but between Lily's job and James' company, they barely had a chance to Floo him. Sirius would occasionally get a chance to speak with him and would update her whenever he could ("Moony bought new socks yesterday."). 

They had recently received a letter from him, but it was rather cryptic. Lily's hands had shaken from excitement while James broke the seal of the letter. It was short, but the sight of Remus' handwriting calmed her. He had told them that he was coming home soon and that he wanted to meet the two of them at a fancy restaurant downtown. Lily had no idea why, but she had grabbed the letter from her husband just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. James had laughed as he gathered her in his arms, the two of them rereading the letter until the clock struck eleven.

James held up two ties for her to choose between, but she just shook her head. "There's no need for that." 

She picked up the ends of her necklace, and James tossed the ties onto the bed, coming round to help her. He moved her hair off of the nape of her neck and hooked the ends together. 

"Mum? Dad?"

Lily spun around to her teenage son, who stood in the doorway of their bedroom. Harry had just turned fifteen and was beginning to look more like her husband day after day. James and Harry shared the same thin face and long nose, along with their wild dark hair. Lily took pride in the fact that his eyes were the same startling green as hers. While most of her colleagues and distant friends noticed the resemblance between James and Harry almost immediately, only Remus and Sirius talked about her eyes.

"Mmm?" James asked, finding his watch on the dresser in front of them.

"What time will you be back? Can't I come with you to see Remus?"

Lily shared a quick glance with James before walking over to her son. She ruffled his hair and placed an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sorry, love. Remus made the reservation for just the two of us. I'm sure Sirius will be around soon. I know how the two of you love to listen to that Muggle band of yours."

"Mate, I'll bring you back some treacle tart," James winked. 

Satisfied with the promise of his favorite dessert, Harry trudged back to his room. Lily turned to her husband, straightening his collar. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, fiddling with the wedding band on her fourth finger. 

"Ready?" James asked, looking down at her.

She took a deep breath and linked her fingers through his. "More than ready."

Sirius arrived, motorbike in tow. Lily hated the damn thing, but Sirius had convinced her that it was perfectly safe. She still didn't believe him, but she knew better than to argue against a hopeless cause. James had loved it, even helping Sirius make a few of the modifications to help it fly.

Harry was ecstatic to see Sirius, jumping off of the landing to give his godfather a high five. Sirius tossed his helmet to James, who caught it with a scowl. Sirius pecked Lily on the cheek before following Harry into the sitting room. 

"Give Lupin my best."

"We'll be home by eleven," she called out after him, "Don't break anything."

The entire drive to the restaurant, Lily's leg was jangling from the nerves. The restaurant was in Muggle London, so Apparition wasn't an option. Lily was glad; there was no way she was in the right mindset to remember Destination, Determination, Deliberation. She had taught James how to drive years ago, and he even admitted that he sometimes preferred the mundane Muggle activity to magical transportation. 

They arrived at the restaurant right on time, Lily impatiently waiting for James to finish speaking with the valet. She watched him cautiously hand over the keys to their car, checking over his shoulder to make sure the valet wasn't going to drive off with it. 

They walked hand in hand into the lobby of the restaurant, waiting patiently behind the couple in front of them. Lily craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Remus when James gently tugged her forward.

"We're here with Remus Lupin," James told the maître d'. 

The man checked the list in front of him. "Just this way."

Lily's breath caught in her throat as she spotted Remus, perusing through the menu at a small circular table, surrounded by three empty chairs. Remus looked up at that particular moment and a smile broke across his face as he stood to greet them. 

His cheeks were fuller and his pale green eyes looked brighter than she had ever seen them. James left her side as he rushed to envelop his friend into a hug. A laugh bubbled out from Lily and she could feel the tears gather in her eyes. When James _finally_ let go of Remus, Lily clutched his arm to steady herself. She reached up and touched his cheek, her thumb brushing across the ends of his scar.

"It's been too long," she whispered and pulled him close.

Remus chuckled, his laugh deep and hearty. Oh, how she had missed his laugh. She tightened her grip on him, her fingers bunching in his soft sweater. 

"Oi, Lil, give him some room to breathe," James teased, easing Lily out of Remus' embrace.

She swatted at his arm. "I'm just too happy to see you, Remus," she said, as she and James took their seats across from him. "Tell me about Belgium."

Remus opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the arrival of a young woman who awkwardly stood at the head of the table. She had a pale heart-shaped face framed by short, shoulder-length brown hair. Her eyes were dark but kind. The woman looked over at Remus, wringing her hands. Lily glanced between the woman and Remus, furrowing her brow in confusion.

Remus cleared his throat and stood. "Er- Lily, James," he began slowly, "This is Nymphadora Tonks."

"Just Tonks, thanks," the woman said, gingerly extending her hand towards them. Suddenly, the purpose of the fourth empty chair at their table became clear. 

Lily smiled politely, standing to shake Tonks' hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

She discreetly nudged her husband, who started and gestured towards the chair in question. "Please, have a seat."

Tonks took her seat next to Remus, who had gone red in the face. Tonks stared at her lap, and the four of them were plunged into an uncomfortable silence while Lily racked her brains for something to say. 

She was just about to ask about Remus' trip home when Remus blurted, "Tonks is my girlfriend."

Tonks flushed deep red, as Lily gasped. "That's _wonderful!_ "

"About time, mate," James chortled. 

Lily couldn't stop smiling as she stared at the pair of them. "Tell us everything! How did you two meet?"

Remus placed his hand on top of Tonks, the action causing Lily's insides to warm. "We'll tell you everything," he said, "but first, I think we should order."

Once the waiter had taken their orders, Lily turned to face Remus and Tonks. Remus looked slightly out of place, but Tonks was beaming with happiness. Lily was happy for the pair of them. Remus refused to believe that others could actually care for him, especially once they found out about his "condition". Lily had tried her hardest to convince him that he was a _good person_ , werewolf or not. James and Sirius eventually got so frustrated with their friend that they quashed the conversation before it even began, but Lily hated seeing Remus so lonely. 

Lily clasped her hands together and smiled at the couple in front of her. "I'm so excited. Did you meet in Brussels?"

Remus scratched the back of his neck. "Well, yes. Dora's from London, originally. She's an Auror for the Ministry of Magic."

"You're _magic,_ " Lily gushed.

Tonks frowned, "Well, yes. I assumed-"

"No, no. It's just that Remus brought us to a muggle restaurant, so I wasn't exactly sure," Lily cut in, "Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm muggle-born myself."

Next to her, James snapped his fingers. " _That's_ why I thought your name was familiar. Sirius' cousin married a Tonks."

"Yes, Remus told me you're friends with Sirius," Tonks glanced at Remus, "Sirius is like a distant uncle."

Lily snorted. "Sirius is more like an uninvited houseguest who rarely ever leaves."

Her husband laughed, wrapping an arm around her. "Lily's just jealous because all her boys stop paying attention to her the minute Sirius walks in the door."

Lily prepared to throw back a snarky retort, but Remus cut her off. "I've known the two of you long enough to stop your petty arguments before they go any further."

She scowled at Remus, but he continued, "So yes, Tonks is a recent graduate of the Auror Academy-"

"One of the top graduates, mind you. Moody's star pupil," Tonks cut in.

"Come to think of it," Lily mused, "I rarely ever see Alastor around the Ministry, but he mentioned training a particularly gifted Auror. I've never seen Mad-Eye sing anyone's praises, and I think that speaks for itself."

Tonks laughed, the sound halfway between a snort and a chuckle. "That sounds exactly like ol' Mad-Eye."

"Lily works as a Rune Translator for the Ministry," Remus explained. "Find any new interesting texts?"

Lily beamed but James cut her short, "You don't want to get her started on work. It'll never end."

"Oi, watch it," she warned him.

"You two haven't changed a bit," said Remus.

"But you've changed a lot, mate," James replied, his own hazel eyes roving over Remus and Tonks.

Lily found his hand under the table and squeezed. Neither of them had expected this. While she loved Remus and was so incredibly happy for him, it would have been nice to know what they were walking into. She was sure Tonks was wonderful, and Lily had warmed up to her immediately, she just hadn't understood why Remus had kept her a secret. 

"I'm sorry, I have to ask," Tonks began, her jaw tight, "Did you know I was going to be here tonight?"

James hesitated, "Er- not really."

Tonk turned to Remus, aghast. "You didn't _tell_ them?!"

"It's a difficult thing to put into a letter!" he cried.

"Remus, it's not that hard! You say, 'Remember that Tonks I mentioned? Yeah, I bloody well like her, and I want you to meet her,'" she retorted.

James was about to say something, but Lily held him back with a simple squeeze of his hand and a shake of her head. The truth of the matter was that Remus had _never_ mentioned Tonks in any of his letters. Lily would remember even a passing reference, but as she racked her brains, she came up empty. However, this wasn't a discussion that she or James needed to get involved in. 

Remus looked peaky, and he dropped his head into his arms, his elbows resting on the tip of the table. Tonks looked furious, her teeth worrying her lip. James gulped and looked at Lily, the candlelight reflecting off of his glasses. 

Lily shrugged her hand out of James' grip and leaned across the table, placing a light hand over Tonks' own. 

"Look, I'm so very sorry this hasn't gone according to plan. However, we would still love to get to know you. Please don't be upset, we'll be sure to take it up with Remus later."

Remus lifted his head and met Lily's eyes. She gave him a stern glare but turned her attention back to Tonks. The young woman gave her a small smile, though her hair had begun to turn suspiciously blond. Lily gave a squeak of surprise as she retracted her hand, using it to cover her mouth. James had also leaned forward, staring between Tonks and Remus in astonishment.

"Ah yes, I may have forgotten to mention that Dora's a Metamorphmagus," Remus sighed. "Dora, please. We're in a Muggle restaurant."

"Oh, right, sorry," she said quickly, her hair returning to its original dark brown.

"You're a Metamorphmagus? I've always wanted to meet one!" Lily said incredulously, her breath coming out in short gasps.

"Your husband's an Animagus and you're more interested in someone who can change their hair color at will," James grumbled from next to her. 

"That's right!" Tonks exclaimed, "You lot are Animagi! You, Sirius, and Peter, right?"

"Well, my wife works for the Ministry, so officially, no, we are not," He lifted his hand to adjust his glasses, "That being said, between you and me, it's pretty bloody awesome."

"How is Peter?" Remus asked.

"I'm not really sure," Lily admitted. "We haven't really been in touch. Last I know he was an assistant at some shop. He moved shortly after you did, Remus."

"But, now that you're back, we'll have to get the Marauder's together. A reunion! For old times' sake," James promised.

Their food arrived, still warm from the kitchen. Lily smoothed her napkin over her dress, playing with the ends while the waiter handed out the dishes. She sent a small _thank you_ to the waiter as he placed her bowl in front of her, the steam rising off of it in little swirls. James dug into his food immediately, his napkin abandoned by his elbow. Lily noticed Remus cautiously prodding his chicken, deep in thought. Beside him, Tonks had started chewing, her eyes bright as they roved over James and Lily.

"I've heard so much about the two of you. Remus doesn't stop talking about his friends."

"Ah, Moony," James smiled, "Don't flatter us so. I didn't know you missed us all that much."

"I don't," Remus deadpanned. "Harry's the only one I genuinely miss."

James snorted, and Tonks' eyes brightened. "Oh, yes! Your son! How old is he now?"

"Fifteen," Lily replied with pride. 

"I've seen pictures. He looks just like you, James."

"Harry also has Lily's eyes," Remus added.

Lily thought she would burst into tears right there. James wrapped an arm around her, gently placing his fork on his plate. He knew how much it meant to her when someone talked about Harry's eyes. She was sure Remus would bring them up, but she hadn't realized how much of an effect it had on her.

"Oh god, Remus," Lily brushed at her eyes. "Why can't you come home?"

Remus smile melted. Tonks furrowed her brow, sharing a confused look with Remus. "You haven't told them?" she asked, softly.

James sat up straighter. "Told us what?"

Remus hesitated, his teeth worrying his lip. Tonks placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "I was offered a promotion. I'm going to teach at the University. My contract is for five years."

Lily wanted to scream. But, she didn't have the strength. So she just stared at Remus, as her heart slowly broke into pieces. James had retracted his arm and was silently toying with his napkin. 

Lily tried to arrange her features into a smile. She was sure it looked more like a grimace. "That's amazing. Congrats."

"Thank you, Lily. I'm actually very excited. They've added me to their Literature, Science, and Arts Department where I'll be teaching-"

"I'm sorry, no."

James interrupted, placing both of his hands on the table. All eyes went to him, and Lily spotted the tense muscle in his cheek. James was angry. Remus also looked confused, but James pushed on.

"This is bullshit, Remus. Your home is in London. You belong here, with us. We miss you. I've been so worried sick about you doing god knows what in Brussels. I've told you, Lily and I are willing to support you. You don't _need_ a job. It's already been five years and you've gone and signed another contract. Without even _telling us._ I thought we meant more to you than that. I don't even know who you are, Remus. This is not my friend, my brother who I would trust with my life."

Lily looked at her husband. "James..."

"No, Lily. I've had enough. How many more details do we have to find out like this? I didn't even know who Tonks was until today! Why didn't you tell us, Remus? She's wonderful, but we weren't important enough to know about her? What are you afraid of? You've told her every detail about us, yet you barely have time to _speak_ to us."

Before Remus could even reply, Tonks turned to him slowly. Her eyes were murderous as she said, "What does he mean 'I didn't even know who Tonks was until today'? You told me you wrote to them about me!"

Remus struggled for words, but James interrupted. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Tonks. We had no idea you existed. Welcome to the 'Remus Screwed Me Over' club. We suddenly have a huge influx of members."

"James!" Lily was truly angry now. He didn't have to bring poor Tonks into it.

Tonks stood suddenly, throwing her napkin on the table. Remus was bright red, and his eyes widened at Tonks' motion. 

"Screw you, Remus Lupin."

She hurried away from the table, not once glancing back. Remus stood to follow her, but Lily pinned his wrist to the table. 

"No," she gritted out. "You stay here. You've done enough, Remus."

She sent a meaningful glance at her husband as she pushed out her chair and followed Tonks.

She found the younger girl on a bench outside the restaurant. Tonks had buried her face in her lap and her shoulders were heaving with poorly concealed sobs. Lily quietly took a seat next to her, placing a comforting hand on her knee. 

Tonks looked up and met Lily's eyes. She noticed that Tonks' nose had become more squished and her eyes had become more green, to mirror Lily's. Her hair had turned into a mousy brown. Lily reached out and Tonks threw herself into her outstretched arms. Lily patted her back as she continued to cry into Lily's shoulder.

Finally, Tonks took a deep shuddering breath and pulled out of Lily's embrace. She swiped at her face, almost as if she was embarrassed to have been caught crying. Lily clutched her hands in her own. 

"Tonks?"

"Oh Merlin, Lily, I'm so sorry. I'm not like this, I promise. I've made a horrible first impression."

"No," Lily replied quickly. "Please don't apologize. None of this is your fault. I can't imagine how you're feeling, but you don't deserve this."

"He told me he wrote to you! Regularly!"

Lily looked at her lap. "He does."

"And he's never once mentioned me?"

Lily winced at the hopefulness in her voice. "No, but I've known Remus for almost twenty years and he's never been rather upfront about matters of the heart."

"He told me I'm too young for him."

Lily glanced at Tonks. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

Lily raised her eyebrows, impressed. "You're a fully-trained Auror at twenty-four? That's incredible!"

"Remus didn't care. Do you know how long it took for me to convince him?"

"Remus is a martyr. He always has been. He doesn't think he deserves any happiness."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Tonks, slapping her hand to her forehead. "He's too bloody busy being a hero to stop and allow others to take care of himself."

Lily smiled at Tonks. She was right. Remus needed someone to care for him. And, it was clear to Lily that Tonks did. It wasn't just in the small glances she sent him throughout dinner. It was in the way that her eyes lit up whenever she talked about him, a fire lighting up under her feet. Lily recognized that fire. She herself had it when she spent almost five years yelling at James.

"Remus can be self-sacrificial. But, he does care. I know he does. He's come this far, hasn't he? He introduced you to us! Maybe not in letters, but he cared enough to do it in person, right?"

"I guess," Tonks conceded.

"And," Lily continued, squeezing her hands, "I've never seen him smile so much during one meal! We used to have to burst a blood vessel to get him to crack a grin."

"I think I love him." Tonks looked so sad.

Lily caught her chin in her hand. "Tonks, that's wonderful! Have you told him?"

She shook her head. "I'm too afraid he's going to leave me."

"He wouldn't leave you, not for that! As I've said, he needs a little more love in his life."

"This isn't easy for me! We're not destined to be together like you and James."

Lily snorted. "If you think James and I are destined to be together, you haven't witnessed our fights. But, that's okay. We're allowed to fight. In fact, you need to fight _more._ Fight for Remus. Fight for your feelings. Fight for love."

Tonks sat straighter. Her eyes were rimmed with red. "Why am I the only one who has to fight?"

"Trust me, Remus does his fighting internally. He has to battle his thousands of thoughts and assumptions."

"I know he's a werewolf."

"That's the biggest sign that he trusts you. He wouldn't tell anyone that."

"He thinks something's going to happen to me. I'm an Auror! I know how to protect myself!"

"Look, either way, I promise you, Remus'll come round. He takes a bit more time than the rest, but he will."

Tonks took a shuddering breath and nodded. 

"And," Lily continued, "if he ever hurts you, I promise I can make him pay... though I'm no Auror."

Tonks let out a small laugh. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Lily helped her stand. "I'm pretty protective when it comes to the people I'm fond of."

Tonks wrapped her arms around Lily, squeezing her tight. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear.

"Also," Lily tugged playfully on a strand of Tonk's, "you might want to change this back before we go in."

Lily linked their arms together and led them into the restaurant once again. Tonks tripped over the leg of the bench and Lily steadied her. Tonks muttered a curse under her breath, and Lily had an inkling that it happened more than she cared to admit. Lily smiled at that.

The two women walked up to their table, arm in arm. James was leaning across the table while Remus had his head hidden in his arms. James was the first one to spot them, and he sent Lily a small smile. She hoped that meant that things had gone well on his end. 

Remus lifted his head, locking his eyes straight onto Tonks. He began to stand, while Tonks unhooked her arm from Lily's. Tonks made a move to speak, but Remus started before she could say anything.

"Dora, I know I've been completely rotten. I'm so sorry for having lied to you. You deserve better than that. I've never _had_ a girlfriend before. Half the time I'm convinced you're too good for me."

Tonks stepped closer to him. She rubbed her thumb across his cheek. "You're perfect, Remus. You _should have_ told Lily and James about me. I want _you,_ Remus. All of you. I'm not ashamed or scared. I'm stronger than you think I am."

Lily smiled as the pair of them embraced. She took her seat next to James and whispered, "Good work, partner."

He winked at her, reaching for her hand. "I told you I'm not completely useless."

She ruffled his hair affectionately. "I guess I'll keep you around, then."

Tonks and Remus took their seats across from them, the tension considerably less. 

Remus glanced at James, who nodded encouragingly. "Lily, I've decided that I'll try my best to visit London at least once a month. Hopefully more, depending on my work schedule. I miss you too, you know."

Lily broke out into a radiant smile. "Remus, that's wonderful! Harry's going to be so excited when we tell him."

"Sorry, mate, for all the yelling," James apologized.

Remus dismissed it with a quick wave. "I deserved it. I've been a pretty shite mate recently."

Lily reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze. "I forgive you, but if you do anything to hurt Tonks here..." she trailed off, her meaning clear.

Remus looked at Tonks, his eyes tracing every detail of her face. "I won't. In fact, Dora will be in London for a while so I was hoping you two could give her some company while I'm away?"

"Of course!" exclaimed James. "She's family."

Lily agreed, "Get ready to experience Potter hospitality. It can be a bit overwhelming."

" _A bit?"_ Remus mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that Moony," said James, his grin wide, "You better come home soon or else we may steal her away from you."

Before they left, James made sure to collect a container of treacle tart before settling the bill. Lily wrapped Remus in a warm hug, promising to write to him about her Runes. She kissed Tonks on the cheek, her heart warming at the prospect of the sister she never had. James clapped Remus on the back, reminding him to visit again soon. He hugged Tonks as well, asking her to stop by anytime to check out their Animagi. Lily shoved James for that one.

The pair of them bid their final goodbyes to the werewolf and Metamorphmagus. Lily sighed as she watched Remus wrap a comforting arm around Tonks before they disappeared around the corner. Lily and James walked hand in hand to the valet, where he collected his car keys. James had to double-check to make sure no one had bewitched them. 

James stopped in front of the car and turned to Lily. "So, did you ever figure out how they met?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... how do you think Tonks and Remus met?
> 
> I've always loved Tonks in the books and I know that Lily would have also loved her. And ta-da! The idea for this work was born. I imagine Tonks and Lily as strong supporters of each other. Lily would obviously fit so well into the older sister role (she knows what NOT to do) and Tonks as an only child always wished she had a sister. This one-shot was so much fun to write and I hope you enjoyed domestic bliss Jily!
> 
> If you have any prompts for me, feel free to message me here on AO3 or on Tumblr (rainasteele)!


	2. A Blunder and A Bruise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A case of mistaken identity leads to some interesting conversations at the grocery store.

Lily should've known they were up to something when all four of them requested to go to the grocery store with her.

She had just wanted to pop into the supermarket to grab some pasta sauce for dinner that night. She said as much to them before all four of them shared a look of pure joy and asked to join her.

"Five minutes," she told the four of them, fixing them with a stern glare outside the store.

They nodded vigorously, and grabbed the handle of the nearest trolley, steering it in the opposite direction from her. She only had a second to process the peculiarity of it all before she grabbed her own basket and walked over to the sauce aisle. She scanned the varieties of pasta sauce before grabbing James' favourite: garlic, basil, and tomato.

She was too busy flipping through the rest of her list that she missed the man standing an arm's length away in front of the shelves.

Lily's shoulder caught his arm, and she looked up quickly, her face flushing red as she began to apologise.

"Er- oh! I'm so sorr- Dave?" She stopped.

" _Lily Evans_? Is that you?"

"Yes, how are you? I haven't seen you since-"

"Primary school."

Lily nodded, her fingers fiddling with the handle of her grocery basket. She felt her mouth go dry as she desperately tried to come up with some type of conversation starter. Of course, it was hard to converse with someone she hadn't seen for the better part of eight years. She racked her brain for anything, _anything_ , to fill this awkward silence.

She was friends with Dave back in primary school, even fancied him at some point. How could she not? With his perfectly-styled blond hair and comforting chocolate brown eyes, he was a heartthrob.

After Hogwarts, of course, she had lost touch with many of her muggle friends, including Dave. It wasn't anyone's fault. She was too busy with her schoolwork, and she couldn't go around telling her old friends that she went to a school for witches and wizards.

"How have you been?" she asked, opting to remain as polite as possible.

Dave gave her a dazzling smile. "I've been well. Just finished my A levels, so I'm beginning to apply to uni."

"That's great! Do you know what do you want to study?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Dave shrugged. "I'm considering accounting, but who knows? I might change halfway through."

Lily's heart gave a dull pang as she realised she would never get the opportunity to attend university. She could if she wanted to, but it seemed childish to go run off to go to uni when the rest of her peers were fighting a war.

Lily swallowed thickly and plastered a smile on her face. "That sounds fantastic. I'm sure you'll be amazing at whatever you decide to do."

Dave reached out and placed a light hand on her arm. "What about you, Lily? What have you been up to? It's been such a long time."

"I just graduated from a boarding school in Scotland," she said. Lily was used to lying about Hogwarts, but she wished she didn't have to. She would break the Statute of Secrecy a thousand times over if it meant she could tell people about how glorious Hogwarts is.

Dave raised his eyebrows. "A boarding school, huh? Did you get shipped away to live with a bunch of delinquent girls?"

Lily laughed. "No, no, of course not!" she said, nudging his shoulder. "It was co-ed, actually. It's where I met my-"

A whoop of pure delight stole her train of thought.

Sirius barrelled around the corner, his grey eyes wide with glee. His smile dropped a bit when he saw her, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"Lily?" he choked out, his head swiveling behind him. "Oh _shit._ "

Lily barely had a moment to register his shock when James and Peter came careening towards her on the back of a trolley.

James saw her standing there and immediately jumped off, leaving Peter to control the cart on his own. Peter tried his hardest to veer the cart away from Lily and Dave but overshot considerably.

"OW!"

The trolley collided with her hip, so painfully that it caused her to drop her basket, bringing both hands up to the injured spot as she landed on the floor. James' eyes widened, and he tried to help her but tripped on Peter's feet. Both of them ended up on the floor of the grocery store, James' hand still outstretched.

Remus rounded the corner, at last, his mouth dropping open at the scene in front of him.

Lily, James, and Peter were sprawled on the floor. Her basket was lying upturned a few meters away, the sauce and seasoning lying in the middle of the aisle. Remus hurried over to Lily, placing the items back inside her basket.

"Lily, oh Merlin, I'm so sorry. I tried to stop them-"

She cut him off with her hand as he helped her back up off the ground. She looked at the four culprits in front of her, all conveniently trying to avoid her eye.

"Are you alright, Lily?"

Dave's voice jarred her back to reality. She turned to face him, plastering a sweet smile on her face.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Though," she added, rubbing her hip, "that'll bruise in the morning."

"Right, sorry about that, Lils," said Sirius, not a hint of remorse in his voice.

"You don't sound sorry," said Peter, standing up and dusting off his jeans.

"Eh, Lily knows I mean well."

Lily rolled her eyes, turning back to face Dave. "I'm so sorry about all of this," she said, gesturing to the scene in front of her.

Dave waved it off. "Oh, don't worry about it. I hope you're doing well, though. Have you decided where you're going for uni?"

Lily visibly deflated. Her eyes dropped to the floor, and she began moving her toe in circles on the ground.

It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to go to uni. She just had different priorities. She was living in the midst of a war, and that was more important to her than shotgunning a few beers while watching a footy match.

"Right, I'm actually putting that off for a bit," she lied, after a moment, hoping it was convincing. "I actually got engaged recently, so I'm using the time to plan the wedding." This part was true, of course.

"Oh yes, I see," he said, gesturing to the ring that glittered on her fourth finger. "Congratulations by the way."

Lily blushed, but smiled nevertheless, her eyes straying towards James, who was still lying on the floor, propped up by his elbows.

She would never get tired of looking at him. His messy hair sticking up in every direction and his hazel eyes glinting with mischief. His long legs tangled on the floor didn't stop him from sending her a smirk, a crooked grin, the left side of his mouth tilting higher than the right.

Oh jeez. She loved this man. She didn't think she would ever stop loving him.

"Thank you, Dave. James and I are very excited, though it has been rather stressful," she admitted, as Remus handed over her basket.

"It's so nice to meet you. James, is it?" asked Dave perfectly harmlessly.

He then extended his hand towards a bewildered Remus who sent a panicked look at Lily.

Remus. Dave thought _Remus_ was her fiancé.

Oh, dear _._ This could end very badly.

"Erm-"

Lily began, "Well, actually-"

"Oi!" cried Sirius from behind her.

"Oh no," whispered Peter.

Surprisingly for once, James said nothing. He simply stood up and brushed the dust off of the front of his jeans.

"So nice to meet you too," he said coldly.

Dave's eyes narrowed in confusion, swinging wildly from Remus to James, his hand still outstretched. He finally realised his mistake and took back his hand, where it came to rest on the back of his neck. His face coloured, two splotches of red appearing on his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry... I just assumed that-" Dave began sheepishly.

"Oh yes, what did you assume?" asked Sirius, menacingly.

" _Sirius!"_ Lily hissed.

Dave's eyes widened. "Well, I just thought- I mean, you seemed so similar- I didn't mean to offend- I just-" He cut himself off suddenly, realising that he wasn't making the situation any better.

"You just what?"

" _James!_ Stop it!" she cried, her hand reaching out to clasp his wrist.

"That's James," said Peter, gesturing unhelpfully at his tall mate.

"Er- yes, I gathered that." Dave's entire face was flushed red, and Lily felt a twinge of regret.

It wasn't his fault that he had made an assumption. To the outsider, she guessed that she and James seemed too different to be involved. She never expected to _like_ to James Potter let alone be _engaged_ to him.

"Don't worry about it, Dave." Dave's eyes snapped to her, and Lily smiled brightly at him. "I apologise for," she paused and looked deliberately over to the four boys, "these idiots."

"Oh, no, please don't. I'm so sorry. You know what they say about assumptions..." He trailed off.

"How d'you know Lily?" piped up Peter, trying his best to diffuse the situation.

"Oh, that's an easy one," Dave replied, relieved. "We went to primary school together. She was rather fiery then too."

"Fiery?" Lily gasped at the description. "I was a perfect angel!"

Dave snorted. "Yeah until Sally Thornton tried to grab the gold glitter from you and you dumped it all in her hair. Poor girl scattered glitter everywhere for the next week."

"Well, Sally Thornton was a right pain in the arse, and she deserved it."

Dave chuckled. "See? Fiery."

"You don't have to tell us. We've known her for far longer than you."

Lily stared at Sirius. Why was he being so _hostile_? Dave was just making polite conversation.

"No, I wasn't trying to-"

"Save it," Sirius barked.

Lily sent Sirius a glare, her mouth hanging open at his blatant rudeness. "I'm so sorry, Dave. _Some people_ have trouble being _decent human beings_."

"Oh, it's fine, don't worry about it. It was great seeing you, Lily. I'm afraid I have to run. I, er- have something I got to pick up in the next aisle over."

It was evident that Dave was uncomfortable around her and was making random excuses to get away from her. Lily swallowed thickly and gave him a small nod.

"It's was great seeing you, Dave."

He nodded quickly, tripping over his own feet to walk away from the five of them. Once he was out of sight, Lily dropped her smile, massaging her temples. She hoped the tears would stay at bay until she was alone.

She pinned Sirius with her dirtiest glare, but the bastard just shrugged and straightened his black leather jacket. James clasped her wrist, but she wrenched her hand out of his.

"He seemed nice," Peter said, righting the trolley behind her.

None of them said anything in response.

Lily focused all her willpower into getting the five of them to the checkout lane. They stood in complete silence behind an elderly woman. James came around to help her unload their purchases, but Lily still didn't say a word to him.

She thanked the cashier and collected her change, bundling all the groceries into a homely basket.

Sirius broke the silence first, as was expected. "D'you reckon you could be a bit _less_ pissed with us?"

"Don't think I haven't forgotten about what you did," Lily warned, picking up her basket.

James caught her hand. "We haven't done anything, Lils."

She turned to Remus, as the lot of them made their way out of the store. "I expected better from you, Lupin. You were supposed to keep them in line!"

Remus shrugged. "They're a bit persuasive when it comes to these things. Plus, I was curious myself. Haven't been to a grocery store in ages and I forgot what it was like to ride on the back of a trolley."

Peter gently took the basket out of Lily's arms. "And, we didn't hurt anyone important."

"You hurt me!" she said, rubbing her finger across her hip.

"Yeah, but James will take care of that," Sirius drawled, coming up beside her.

She shoved him, hard. "Stop it! This isn't funny!"

James turned to face her, stopping her in her tracks. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the evening sun. "What's wrong, Lil? It was just some harmless fun."

"Harmless, my arse," she grumbled, stepping around him. "You were _horrible_ to poor Dave."

"Yes, well 'poor Dave' looked as if he wanted to shag you senseless so excuse me if I got a bit territorial," Sirius replied.

Lily scoffed, her temper flaring to life. "He did _not!_ He was a perfect gentleman. He only asked me about my plans for uni, which isn't happening, because I'm stuck fighting a war at the age of nineteen! And so what if he made a small mistake? You had no right to gang up on him like that! I was so ashamed, and neither of you apologised!"

"Merlin, Lily, relax. He's just some Muggle," Sirius shrugged.

Lily gaped at him, as he continued to walk ahead of her. She stormed up to him and grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn around and face her. She didn't want to do this in a car park filled with random people, but she never was adept at controlling her anger.

" _'Just some Muggle'_? Where the _hell_ did that come from? In case you haven't realised, I had a life before I came to Hogwarts. I had friends and people who I liked spending time with. Dave was one of them, and I happened to meet him here. What is the big deal? It's not like I'm running off to marry him!"

"Yeah, it'd serve you well to remember who you're _actually_ marrying." Sirius yanked his hand out of her grip.

" _Sirius..."_ Remus warned.

"Is that your issue? That I'm not slobbering over James every second of the day? I'm allowed to speak with whomever I damn well please. I don't give a _shit_ about your opinion, Sirius Black. I can't even imagine how pathetic you must be to think you have any right to dictate how I act."

James interrupted before she could continue. "That's _enough_ ," he growled.

Sirius had turned around to face Lily, his arms crossed lazily across his chest. Lily was surprised to find her own hands clenched into tight fits, tension lining her body. James stepped in between both of them, a hand extended in both directions to calm them down.

"Lily, you're right. We were rude and condescending to Dave for no reason. And for that, I'm sorry," James said. "But, it did hurt to see the way you were talking to him. As if you regretted being a part of the Wizarding World." He paused, taking a deep, steadying breath. "As if you regretted _me._ "

Lily froze and stared at him with wide eyes. She slowly shook her head, striding towards him, with even, purposeful steps. Stopping about a metre in front of him, she threw herself against him, her head resting on his chest and her hands wrapping around his lean torso.

"Never," she murmured into his sweater, "I love you."

James pulled away from her, threading their fingers together. "And I love you. And so do Remus and Peter. And Sirius, though he would rather keep that information to himself," he said, stealing a quick glance at his best mate.

Sirius scoffed, though there was a hint of red in his cheeks. James laughed, and Lily tucked herself underneath his shoulder, one arm around him, the other outstretched towards Sirius.

"I'm sorry, Sirius. Forgive me?" She offered him a tentative smile.

Sirius eyed her proffered hand, electing to flick her palm before walking away towards Peter and Remus. James and Lily both turned towards the rest of their friends, sharing a secretive smile.

"You know," she called to them after a minute, "I'm still waiting for my apology."

Remus nodded. "Apologies, Lil. We'll be better next time."

"Agreed. Didn't mean to hit you with the trolley either," Peter added on.

Lily smiled at the pair of them and then cut her eyes at Sirius who sighed dramatically. "I'm sorry, or whatever," he huffed, turning back around.

Lily opened her mouth to retort, but Peter sidled up next to her.

"Lil, that's probably the best you'll get out of him," he told her, tugging her sleeve.

She slung an arm around his shoulder, ruffling the end of his scarf. "You're right. I should have known better."

James pressed a brief kiss to her forehead before bounding ahead to deliver a swift punch to Sirius' arm. The pair of them exchanged silent words before bursting out into broad smiles. Remus reached into his pocket and produced the car keys.

They stopped in front of the taupe-coloured Austin Maxi, Remus' mother's old car. Peter helped her with her sauce and spices, placing them into the boot while Remus fiddled with the lock.

Suddenly, Sirius burst out laughing. He clutched his stomach as his shoulders shook with laughter. He leant against the exterior of the car while he doubled over with glee.

"What?!"

"It's just-" he said between bouts of laughter, "that man... thought... Lily... and REMUS!"

James clapped him on the back, laughing right alongside him. Remus turned around to face the pair of them, an expression of fond annoyance in his pale green eyes.

"I'm glad you find that amusing."

Peter shut the boot while Lily came around, shoving James and Sirius. She sent a wink at Remus over Sirius' shoulder. "Oi, be careful. I may end up jilting you for Remus."

Remus turned a deep red, spluttering. Sirus howled even louder, trying his hardest to catch his breath. Even Peter managed a quiet chuckle. James straightened and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"That's very mean, Evans. You know I have a fragile heart." He placed a delicate hand over his chest.

Lily snorted. Remus rolled his eyes, opening the door of the car and buckling into the driver's seat. Peter immediately called _"Shotgun!"_ and ran to the other side of the car. That left James, Lily, and Sirius to squeeze into the backseat, with Lily flanked on either side by James and Sirius.

While Sirius rolled down the window, resting his elbow outside the car, James took Lily's hand, rubbing small circles over her knuckles. Lily leant forward, tapping Remus slyly on the shoulder as he navigated out of the parking lot.

"Don't worry, Remus, no one will ever find out about our secret love affair."

Remus scoffed, shaking his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Lily tugged his hair affectionately before settling back into the seat. Sirius' knee knocked into hers once, twice. Still, the man himself continued to stare out the window and the passing British countryside. They were good. She knew that. So she returned the gesture, knocking her own knee against Sirius' once, twice, and three times.

She moved her shoulders closer to James, the ring on her hand, catching the sunlight streaming through the window. She smiled to herself as James slung an arm around her shoulder, still rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand.

Her fiancé leant down to whisper in her ear, his voice low. "Now, about that bruise..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this! A little bit of James/Lily post-engagement haha
> 
> I actually started this story about a year ago in July 2019, but then abandoned it because I didn't have the inspiration. But then suddenly, a few months ago, I realized the direction I wanted to take, so here it is!
> 
> Please feel free to comment with your thoughts; I love reading them!


End file.
